Week 6 Choose or Lose: Tight Ends

Everyone that has Gronk on their roster can celebrate that they should pull massive points out of the tight end this week with the Patriots matchup with the Colts. If you don’t have Gronk — or are facing a fantasy team with him on it — you need to pay special attention this week because every catch matters. Let us do the hard work with choose or lose, and you just adjust your lineup accordingly.

Choose

Tyler Eifert vs. Buffalo Bills

Andy Dalton loves the fact that he has a reliable tight end to throw to now, instead of having to use former Bengals’ tight end Jermaine Gresham. Eifert has been solid this season and he has climbed into the top-five list of tight ends in 2015. He should benefit from the matchup against the Bills, as they have allowed the eighth most points to tight ends this season.

Antonio Gates vs. Green Bay Packers

Gates came back from a four-game suspension last week and looked like he had been playing all season. He tallied nine receptions on 11 targets, 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Packers rank 15th against tight ends in fantasy points, but Gates should be started because the Chargers will likely be playing from behind most of the game, which should open up some areas for Gates in his second game of the season.

Lose

Jimmy Graham vs. Carolina Panthers

What in the world is wrong with Jimmy Graham in 2015? He was supposed to be a fantasy beast after joining the Seahawks‘ offense, but he has been a massive disappointment up to this point. He has single-digit targets in every game this season and is facing a Panthers‘ defense that has allowed the fewest fantasy points this season. Graham went from an early round pick to a bench prospect in five weeks, and this game is a must-sit for Graham.

Colts TEs vs. New England Patriots

Remember the two games that the Colts played against the Patriots last season? Yeah, I’ve tried to forget them as well, but this week will be a bad week for owners that have Cody Fleener or Dwayne Allen. You can thank Andrew Luck for the lack of points that Colts’ tight ends have accumulated in 2015, but you also have to get open so the quarterback can find you. The Colts’ offense has become a part of fantasy football that many owners are shying away from, and you should too.

Heath Miller vs. Arizona Cardinals

I was able to snag Miller in the back-end of a couple of drafts this year and I thought I had just won the lottery, especially after his first two weeks this season. The problem for Miller now is that Michael Vick is the quarterback until Big Ben comes back, and his stats have suffered tremendously. Going forward, you should probably see if Browns’ TE Gary Barnidge is available on waivers.

On the Bubble

Gary Barnidge vs. Denver Broncos

Josh McCown had a franchise-best performance last week but the Broncos defense is solid. DeMarcus Ware will most likely be out this week for the Broncos so that might open up some opportunities for Barnidge. He has been a surprise this season and has accumulated double-digit fantasy points the last three weeks — with two different quarterbacks under center.

Julius Thomas vs. Houston Texans

The Texans’ secondary resembles the “ghost man who was on base in front of you in a shorthanded baseball game as a kid — everyone knew he was there, but he couldn’t be tagged out. Blake Bortles will take advantage of them on Sunday and that plan might include Julius Thomas, who is playing in only his second game for the Jaguars this season.